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University Registrar

Understanding Your Degree Audit

Quick Access
Degree Works – FAQ
  • What is DegreeWorks?
    • DegreeWorks is a web-based tool for students to monitor their academic progress toward degree completion. DegreeWorks allows for students and their advisors to plan future academic coursework.
  • What is an audit?
    • DegreeWorks audit is a review of past, current and "planned" coursework that provides information on completed and outstanding requirements necessary to complete a degree/major/minor/concentration.
  • Can I access DegreeWorks on any computer?
    • Yes. Access to DegreeWorks is through the Web. Anywhere you can log in to my.wm.edu will allow you access to DegreeWorks. You will find the link from Student Records under the Student tab.
  • Can I see how many classes I have left to fulfill my requirements?
    • Yes. DegreeWorks displays degree, major, minor, and concentration requirements information. Look for unchecked boxes to identify requirements that you still need to complete.
  • Are my grades visible in DegreeWorks?
    • Yes. Once grades have been processed at the end of the semester, they are viewable in Degree Works following the nightly refresh.
  • Does DegreeWorks include my AP/IB credit and transfer work?
    • Once the Office of the Registrar receives the AP/IB scores and credit is granted, they are posted to the student record and will appear on the audit. Likewise, transfer work if articulated by the Office of the Registrar will also appear.
  • When should I look at my audit?
    • At least four times a semester. You should always review your audit:
      • Before you meet with your academic advisor to discuss registration for an upcoming semester.
      • After you register to ensure that the courses you selected applied to your requirements like you thought they would.
      • After your grades for each semester are posted.
      • Any time you make a change to your schedule or major.
  • What do I do if I believe my academic information is incorrect?
    • You should consult your academic advisor for a review of your audit. Any exception to major, minor, or concentration requirements should be discussed with your major/minor advisor or academic department personnel. Exceptions will be sent to the Registrar’s Office to update your audit in DegreeWorks.
  • Why isn’t my information up-to-date?
    • There could be several reasons. One is that DegreeWorks may not have refreshed since a change was made (the information is refreshed nightly). Second, there could be some paperwork that needs to be completed. For example, if you have completed transfer courses, it is possible that the university has not received an official transcript or the coursework is pending departmental review. Check with the Office of the University Registrar if your transcript or audit does not reflect transfer work you have completed.
  • I’ve seen the ‘@’ symbol in several places on my audit. What does this mean?
    • This is a wild card in DegreeWorks. If the @ sign appears with course numbers after it (i.e., @ 100:499), it means that you can take any subject area with that level (a 100-400 level course from any subject area). If it appears after a subject prefix (i.e., PSYC @), it means that you can take any course with that subject prefix (any course in Psychology).
  • If I have additional questions about DegreeWorks, who do I contact?
    • For undergraduate students, please email [[w|degreeaudit]].
    • For graduate students, please contact your graduate registrar.

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Using the Audit
  • Using the Audit
    • Your audit will display the courses you've taken or are registered for and will show you any degree, major, minor, or concentration requirements that are being met by the courses you've taken or that may be met upon satisfactory completion of courses in progress.
    • Review the Degree Works Responsive Dashboard Guide (pdf) for an introduction to the main features of the Degree Works Responsive Dashboard
  • Will I be able to view my entire course history?
    • You will be able to view any courses that have been completed/registered for/transferred by the date your audit was last refreshed. (Data is refreshed nightly.) Keep in mind that any transfer work or grade changes that have not been formally submitted and accepted will not appear on your audit.
  • If I think my audit is incorrect, whom do I contact?
    • Your academic advisor is your primary point of contact. If your advisor determines that your audit is incorrect and an exception is required, he/she will contact the Office of the University Registrar for assistance. You may contact the Registrar’s Office for other administrative errors.
  • Where can I find my major GPA?
    • Your major GPA is a calculated GPA based on coursework used to fulfill major requirements. This GPA will appear within the major block requirements of your audit. The major GPA may also include courses that potentially could have been used within the major block but were not needed to fulfill specific requirements.
  • How do I know what classes I need to take?
    • Your audit will outline for you courses still needed to meet degree, major, minor, and/or concentration requirements within each specific block.
  • Where can I see my second major or minor?
    • DegreeWorks is designed to show a listing of your majors and minors in the Student View audit. Additionally, each major and minor is broken out into individual requirement blocks within the audit. Scroll to the bottom of the audit to view all of your major/minor/concentration requirements.
  • I have a requirement substitution or exception, why is this information not appearing in my audit?
    • You should contact your advisor to resolve any substitution issue. Any waivers, substitutions, or exceptions for major, minor or concentration requirements must be communicated to the Office of the University Registrar, and in some cases will require a petition to the Committee on Degrees.
  • If all the radio buttons are checked, does that mean I can graduate?
    • Not necessarily. If you have applied to graduate, the Office of the University Registrar will perform preliminary audits of your coursework during your last year and a final audit after all grades have been submitted to determine if you are eligible to graduate. Missing requirements will be communicated to you by the Office of the University Registrar, but it is ultimately your responsibility to ensure all of your requirements have been completed.
  • Is DegreeWorks my official degree audit?
    • This degree audit report is a tool or guide that you may use for assessing your progress toward your degree and for planning your future coursework. Although we endeavor to assure that the information in the degree audit report is accurate, it is not an official transcript of your academic record and it is not an official notification of completion of degree or certificate requirements. You should contact the Office of the Registrar for information about obtaining a copy of your academic transcript. Meeting graduation requirements is the student's responsibility.

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Using What-If
  • What is the What-If feature?
    • The What-If function allows you to hypothetically change your major, minor, or concentration. The What-If audit will show you what coursework is required for the new major, minor, or concentration, what courses you have taken that satisfy requirements, and what courses are still left for you to take.
  • If I use the What-If feature, does it mean that I have changed my major?
    • No. The What-If function is for information purposes only. You will see the header What-If Audit displayed at the top of the audit whenever an audit is run on a What-If scenario.
  • I’m thinking of changing my major/minor/concentration.  Will I be able to see how my current classes fit into my What-If major/minor/concentration?
    • Yes. The What-If function will perform an audit based on the hypothetical major/minor/concentration and will show how your completed, current, and planned coursework meets the requirements of the hypothetical major/minor/concentration.
  • Can my advisor see my What-If scenario?
    • Since What-If scenarios are not stored on DegreeWorks, your advisor can only see your results the two of you work through a What-If procedure together.
  • Can I view multiple What-If scenarios on the same screen?
    • Yes. DegreeWorks will allow you to select more than one major or major/minor at a time.
  • Can I save my What-If scenario?
    • No. What-If plans are not saved in DegreeWorks. You would need to run a new What-If scenario next time you log in to see it again.
  • If I like what I see in a What-If scenario, how do I initiate the change?
    • Always speak with your advisor first. After consulting with your intended major advisor, you may change your major using the Declaration of Major form.
  • What is the Look Ahead feature?
    • Look Ahead, found within the What-If feature, allows you to plug in courses you plan to take in the future to see how they will fit into your degree audit.

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GPA Calculators

GPA Calculators are found by selecting the vertical ellipsis at the top right of the audit. There are three different GPA calculators in DegreeWorks. The Graduation Calculator and Advice Calculator help you to determine how to reach a desired GPA. The Term Calculator helps you to predict what your GPA will be for the current semester based on the grades you think you will earn in each class.

  • Graduation Calculator –
    • Credits Remaining – This should include all remaining coursework that will be taken at W&M and will receive a grade of “A-F” (including credits in progress).
    • Credits Required – This is the total number of credits graded “A-F” you have taken or will take at W&M. This includes credits completed, credits in progress and credits yet to be taken. This should not include any credits taken at another school.

The DegreeWorks Graduation GPA Calculator is a tool for students to project their possible cumulative GPA for graduation based on information they self-enter. It is not an official record of a student’s GPA. The only official W&M GPA is found on a student’s academic transcript.

  • Why can’t I select a grade of “P”?
    • "P" grades do not count in your GPA. Remove courses for which you expect to receive a "P" from your course list before calculating GPA.

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